Pull and method of making



Jan. 14, 1964 R. M. VlGNA PULL AND METHOD OF MAKING Filed Dec. 8. 1961 1 I P ll RALPH M V/GIVAY INVENTOR.

y I /F% ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,117,339 PULL AND METHOD OF MAKING Ralph ltd. Vigna, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Qompany, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 157,969 (Jlairns. (Cl. 16-124) This invention relates to a pull and pull construction for doors, drawers, trays and the like.

Many different kinds of pulls have been proposed and used in the trade. The pull of the present invention was devised to simplify cabinetry construction and to reduce the cost of pull hardware for the same. The pull herein disclosed is very simple to manufacture, yet it performs its intended function in a manner which is as satisfactory or better than any other known pull. The pull is formed from a single plate, be it plastic or metal. A portion of the plate is bent back upon itself to form an opening through which one may grasp the back of the pull during use of the same and such portion serves to retain the pull in position on the panel to which the pull is attached.

One object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an improved pull for doors, drawers and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of making such a pull.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an integral pull having unitary means for fastening the pull to a panel or other surface.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a pull utilizing a pressure-sensitive adhesive coated on one side thereof for securing the pull to a panel or other surface.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pull construction for door, drawers and the like in which one portion of the pull is bent back upon itself to fasten the pull to the surface with which it is to be used, such portion being curved rendering the same convenient to grasp, and in which a separate member is utiized to form -a light shield.

Still other obiects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the drawings in which like characters denote like parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view showing the pull of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a picture view partly broken away, showing the pull as it might be used in another application.

in FIG. 1, the numeral 11 designates the panel or Wall of a drawer with which the pull P of the present invention is used. Panel 11 has an aperture 13 formed therein. The pull P is made from a single plate 14 from which a portion is bent back on the plate to form a clip 15 and provide an opening 17 which is slightly smaller than aperture :13. Opening 17 is large enough to admit the fingers of a hand during use of the pull. The end portion of clip 15 is shaped to resiliently clasp the panel 11 and thus hold the pull P on the panel. The clip 15 has an elongated curved portion 19 to space the same from the rear of panel 11 and to present a convenient and comfortable shape to be grasped by the fingers of one using the pull. It will be noted that when the section '19 is so grasped, the form exerted to open the door, drawer or tray, as the case may be, is applied to the wall 11 thereof directly through the end portion of clip 15.

In some instances, it is desirable to provide at least a partial light or dust shield over aperture 13 and in those cases a channel member 21 can be attached to the wall 11 by spot welding, screws, or other conventional means. Obviously, the depth of the channel should be selected so that it is still convenient to place the fingers in back of the rounded section :19 without squeezing or jamming the fingers against the face 23 of channel 21.

From the foregoing description of the pull of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the pull can be arranged with the greater dimension of opening 17 extending horizontally and clip 15 located either above or below opening 17 such as when the pull is used on drawers and trays, or the greater dimension of opening 17 can be arranged vertically when the pull is used on doors. In FIG. 3 the pull P is'shown as it might be used on a drawer where the clip 15 is above opening 17. In this instance, the palm of the hand would be up when grasping the pull whereas the palm would be down when the pull of FIG. 1 is grasped.

Regardless of the position of pull P utilized it may be desirable to apply an adhesive such as indicated at 25 to the back of the pull P. This adhesive, preferably a pressure-sensitive adhesive will further assure that pull P remains fixed in position on the surface of the panel 11 during use. The adhesive 25 also may be helpful in those situations where the thickness of the panel .11 is less than the distance between the end portion of clip .15 and the back of plate 14 in which case the end portion of clip 15 would not otherwise engage the rear of panel 11 with suflicient force to retain the pull in place. While it is contemplated that the material of which the pull is formed, should possess sufficient resiliency to enable the end portion of clip 15 to hold the pull in place on the panel 11, it is possible that certain materials may have characteristics such that the use of an adhesive 25 will be desirable.

While a raised bezel has been shown around the periphery of the front of pull P, it is realized that this and/ or other decorative effects could be applied to the pull described herein. lt will now be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the pull herein disclosed is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install, while at the same time providing a convenient, comfortable and simplified cabinetry construction.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

Having now particularly described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States and what ll claim is:

l. A pull for a panel having an aperture, said pull comprising:

(a) a member formed of resilient material and having perimetric dimensions sulficient to embrace the portions of the panel defining said aperture when mounted on said panel;

(12) a central section of said member being bent back in proximity to the rear of said member to provide an opening for alignment with said aperture, and

(c) the distance between at least one portion of the bent section and the rear of said member being less than the thickness of the panel so that said bent section and said member form a resilient clip which, upon engagement with the panel adjacent to the aperture, holds the member on said panel.

2. A pull in accordance with claim 1 and wherein:

(a) a second portion of said bent section is spaced from the rear of said member a distance which is greater than that of said one portion and has an elongated curved surface which prov-ides a comfortable shape for grasping the pull; and

(b) said opening is sufiiciently large to allow the grasping of the curved surface through the opening during use of the pull.

3. Apull in accordance with claim 1 wherein a pressure sensitive adhesive is provided on the rear of said member for securing the pull to said panel.

4. A pull construction for doors, drawers, and the like, comprising:

(a) an exposed wall having an aperture extending between the opposing sides of said wall;

([1) a member formed of resilient material and com prising:

(1) an interior section which is doubled back in proximity to the rear of the member providing an opening which is aligned with said aperture, the doubled back section resiliently engaging the rear side of the wall to hold the member on the front side of said wall and having an elongated curved surface spaced from the rear of said member providing a conveniently grasped handle,

(2) said opening and aperture being sufficiently large to admit the fingers of a hand therethrough, and

(3) a frame having-perimetrie dimensions sufiicient to embrace the portions of the panel defining said aperture; and

(c) channel means positioned over said aperture and attached to the rear of the member to form a light shield over said aperture and said opening.

5. The method of making a unitary pull having an in- 5 tegra-l attachment means for mounting the pull onan apertured panel, said method comprising:

(a) forming a tab in a central section of a sheet of material to provide an opening in said sheet, said opening being of a size such that the fingers of a human hand can pass therethrough when the tab is bent back upon the sheet;

(12) bending the tab back from the plane of the sheet into proximity to the rear of the sheet so as to form with the sheet a clip for attaching the pull to a panel;

and

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hammer Nov. 27, 1956 Ternes et al Aug. 27, 1957 Migneault et al Aug. 23, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 3 1, 1917 

1. A PULL FOR A PANEL HAVING AN APERTURE, SAID PULL COMPRISING: (A) A MEMBER FORMED OF RESILIENT MATERIAL AND HAVING PERIMETRIC DIMENSIONS SUFFICIENT TO EMBRACE THE PORTIONS OF THE PANEL DEFINING SAID APERTURE WHEN MOUNTED ON SAID PANEL; (B) A CENTRAL SECTION OF SAID MEMBER BEING BENT BACK IN PROXIMITY TO THE REAR OF SAID MEMBER TO PROVIDE AN OPENING FOR ALIGNMENT WITH SAID APERTURE, AND (C) THE DISTANCE BETWEEN AT LEAST ONE PORTION OF THE BENT SECTION AND THE REAR OF SAID MEMBER BEING LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE PANEL SO THAT SAID BENT SECTION AND SAID MEMBER FORM A RESILIENT CLIP WHICH, UPON ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PANEL ADJACENT TO THE APERTURE, HOLDS THE MEMBER ON SAID PANEL. 